According to my pedometer, I walked over 70 miles in 5 weekends, two days each weekend. My schedule was tight, but I managed to get to every block in District 3. I knocked on over 1,500 doors and if you answered yours, I hope I greeted you with a smile and that you could sense my genuine concern.

The longest I stayed and talked to any one neighbor was an hour, and I did that on 3 occasions. While I certainly didn’t have time to talk to everyone for an hour, I very much appreciated all of you who took any time at all to talk to me. This is why I walked the neighborhoods. This is why I knocked on doors. I learned about your concerns, what you love about De Pere, and what you’d like to see changed.

Several of my friends offered to help me out. I can’t tell you how much those offers meant to me and I hope they weren’t offended when I turned them down. But I’m glad to say that when any of you answered your door, it was my face you saw.

Just today, two different voters told me, “It’s good to put a face to the signs I’ve seen everywhere.” Exactly. That’s what I had hoped to do. I want you to know who I am and how to reach me. I’m a De Pere family man like you, I’m concerned about city services, taxes, water bills, etc, just like you. When I call 911, I expect someone to come, just like you. And like you, I don’t want to mess up the things we love about De Pere.

Residents weren’t the only folks I visited. I also spent a day talking to business owners and managers on Main Ave and Reid St downtown: restaurants, bars, insurance offices, architects, etc. Business owners can’t vote in the city (unless they also live here), but our business community is important to me; it’s important to the success of our city.

Thank you all for answering your doors, and especially to those who took additional time to talk to me and share your questions and concerns. Walking the neighborhoods of northwest De Pere has been an awesome experience!

Now, I hope you’ll do your part and make your voice heard on Tuesday. Please be sure to vote.